Shattered
by Hope- Suddenly I See
Summary: AU fic, takes place immediately after Moonrise. The chosen cats return to the Clans and set off immediately. The sign is sighted, but one moment of weakness will send the Clans in another direction entirely... R&R.
1. Prologue

EDIT - This chapter and the epilogue take place in the future. The middle - the real chapters - are set directly after Moonrise.

**This original idea belongs entirely to **_**Queen Annie-Ferny Cullen, **_**who gave me permission to write it into my own fic. And I thank her for that. :)**

**I give credit for the title to **_**Rayne, **_**because her PenName "Shattering" inspired it.**

**Disclaimer: Recently, after a long time of trying to uncover her true identity, it was revealed that Erin Hunter does **_**not **_**write FanFiction under the PenName of -Hope- In the Name of Love. Therefore, Hopa orders you to just read the danged story.**

Shattered, Prologue  
**by: **_-hope- in the name of love_

Mothwing stared desolately off over the rocky cliffside, wondering where it all had gone wrong. The vivid, friendly colors of the cheerful sunset seemed to mock her life. A radiant blue sky was slowly fading into darker hues tinted violet, and overhead clouds began to stain gray. The former medicine cat watched the fiery ball of energy slip off the earth with a mere whisper. "Goodbye, sunshine…"

She had no idea where her brother Hawkfrost lived, or if he was even alive. As for her mother, Mudfur and the rest - the same went for them. ThunderClan, WindClan, RiverClan and ShadowClan had scattered.

_Actually,_ she reflected, shattered _was probably a more appropriate word._

She could feel the oldness and tiredness settling in her ancient bones; her joints creaked ominously as she heaved herself up from the dusted land. Slow, careful pawsteps brought her to a thick wooden door with a curved, shining handle. She leaned in to become face-to-face with the mail-slot, and her amber eyes drank in the image of her home hungrily.

Deep inside her, Mothwing knew this was the last of her days. She did not want to die inside that house, cooped up like a trapped bird dreaming of flight. She stared at the comfortable old couch with squishy cushions on which she had grown into an elderly feline. Her eyes roved over the carved wooden chest containing the clock her Twolegs so adored. She spotted, at last, the cat she was looking for. A kitten. _Her _kitten.

Stormfrost was her name. Mothwing's kit. And as Mothwing let herself swim backwards into memories of the young kit's days and of her father, Stormfrost bounded toward her. With a flying leap at the door, Stormfrost flashed into the air and wrapped a paw about the handle Mothwing knew adorned the door's other side as well. The other cat's weight was just enough, and the door swung slightly open. The dark-gray female slithered out the door and up to her mother. "Is it your time? Are you joining ShineClan?" she asked softly.

Mothwing didn't correct her daughter. "Yes, this is my final hour," she whispered.

Stormfrost visibly deflated, her head drooping over to touch her chest. "But Mother, I need you here. I could never dream of ShineClan without you helping me conjure up the images."

She didn't tell her daughter that if Stormfrost couldn't even remember the name 'StarClan', then she certainly did not believe in them. Mothwing herself had lost faith innumerable moons ago.

The younger ashen-furred cat tried to fake happiness, or at least not utter mourning yet. "Well…"

_Don't say anything; you can't turn back time. Let me go in peace. _Mothwing thought discharitably. Stormfrost did the opposite, of course; "Mother, what was it like?" she inquired.

Mothwing sighed, and evaded the story. "What was what like, Stormfrost?" she returned.

"The journey. My father. How did everything disintegrate - just because of your love?"

Stormfrost's questions made Mothwing squirm as memories washed over her like a rising floodwater. She let out her breath without realizing she'd been holding it. "Your father's name was Stormfur," she breathed dreamily. A short gasp of surprise jumped from Stormfrost's throat involuntarily. "The journey was amazing…every step of the way was like a struggle, and it brought me so much closer to StarClan." Her eyes widened as she realized the lie she'd just uttered into life. She could feel it growing between her and her daughter instantly, like a terrible seed stretching tiny tendrils through the air and wrapping her around and around in them. The lie would choke her and taint her death forever.

"Well - that is - I _would_ have been closer to StarClan."

Stormfrost stared at her. "What'd you mean? We believe, do we not?"

Mothwing sighed, staring sadly off at the faraway stars. Stormfur's face seemed to appear in the sky, and as she stared longingly at it, a wisp of wind blew clouds over the apparition. "We do not, Stormfrost. StarClan never knew you because of me and your uncle, and your father. Anyways, you still call it _Shine_Clan half the time."

Narrowed golden eyes pierced into what felt like the marrow of her bones. "What do you, Hawkfrost, and Stormfrost have to do with anything? That's disconnected," she argued.

Mothwing blurted, "I was never a medicine cat. Hawkfrost - my brother - planted a fake sign so that I would be elevated to the position. We were originally rogues. You have one-fourth RiverClan blood, one-fourth rogue blood, and one-half ThunderClan. You might never have belonged. And StarClan would have accepted you even then…except for the snag - I wasn't allowed to take a mate."

A dropped jaw was her only response, so the golden she-cat plowed onwards. "Medicine cats were not allowed to mate in the eyes of StarClan, and once you did - all your visions from before still came true, but if you tried to meet with them, all you received was a veil - a veil of shadows and deceit, lies and darkness. Especially if you welcomed it, as I did. Before the ranks of StarClan - as Stormfur's mate - it would have been too much for me to bear," she admitted.

Stormfrost bravely tried to sweep it all away, like her tail she was animatedly swishing through the air. "Tell me…tell me about the journey. Tell me about how you and father fell in love." Her demands were soft and pleading, very much unlike a normal order, yet Mothwing felt compelled to answer truthfully.

"I've never told any cat the full details of what we did," she finally whispered.

Stormfrost meowed obstinately, "I want to know."

A dip of her triangular head, and Mothwing began to pour out her memories, her past life, and what seemed like her _soul - _what made her who she was - to Stormfrost. "The day Stormfur and the others returned to the Clan was decidedly sunny, but you could feel leaf-fall settling in your bones inevitably. The patrol of five cats, all from different Clans excepting Squirreltail and Brambleclaw, walked in on the middle of a Gathering. I was present. Brambleclaw was invited up to the Highrock by Firestar, his leader, and they began to tell us of the sign from Midnight…"

--

**-grin-  
Review, please. :)  
Hope xxx**


	2. Chapter 1

Flameh: Yeah, I have trouble with beginnings

**Flameh: Yeah, I have trouble with beginnings. They're usually a snore.**

**Bloodshimmer: The prologue and epilogue take place in the future…the rest of the story is directly after Moonrise. I'm not sure if the "EDIT" showed up before or after your read it. **

**Sorrel: Nah. I'll be fine, no worries.**

**Aly: -grins- I was having one of those days where you completely forget something for no reason. Like forgetting how to spell a word.**

**Anneh: Thanks for the CC - I completely missed that. Also, thanks for the plot bunny again. c:**

**Goldfrost: A chapter has been posted, and you're not back from your trip. :D**

**Golde: CC-er! -glomps- I'd **_**just **_**noticed that when your review came in. XD**

**Rayne: They'll be longer. Definitely. :)**

**This is weird and annoying. An apprentice named Splashpaw appears in Dawn's allegiances and is never mentioned. They disappear in Starlight. I hate it when that happens.**

**Also, this is the first story I've written in third-person and past-tense.  
Well, except Across the Borders, but it's horrible anyways.  
If you have any tips for me concerning the style, I'll platonically love you forever. Most books seem to be written this way, but I find it hard.**

Shattered, Chapter 1  
**by: **_-hope- in the name of love_

Mothwing shifted her weight onto her back haunches and lifted her eyes back up to the Clan leader. Leopardstar's splotchy tail twitched back and forth, swishing across the grooves in the willow branch. "Hawkfrost, I want you to lead a border patrol along ThunderClan's boundary line. After your report of their starvation, I'd not be surprised if they waltzed into our territory to steal prey." Sasha's son nodded soundlessly. "I would like to announce the birth of a daughter, Ripplekit, to Dawnflower."

"And finally, it is time for two apprentices to become warriors." Leopardstar's amber eyes settled first on Splashpaw, and then on Volepaw. The latter's brown pelt was bristling in nervous anticipation, while Splashpaw looked to her paws in embarrassment. Volepaw weaved his way forward through the tightly bunched group, and his fellow apprentice trailed after him awkwardly. Her white tail-tip flicked about self-consciously in the brisk air. Mothwing looked to her leader, whose head was lifted. She was almost radiating intensity, her outline framed by the fiery setting sun.

"I, Leopardstar, leader of RiverClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turns. Volepaw, Splashpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even with your life?"

Volepaw's gulp was audible even from Mothwing's spot in the back of the crowd. She chuckled softly at the way he only nodded, while Splashpaw's feeble voice called, "I do."

Leopardstar meowed, "Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Volepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Volewhisker. StarClan honors your strength and courage, and we welcome you as a full warrior of RiverClan."

The mottled brown tabby his head bowed his head, and Mothwing smiled at his pride-bloated chest. Splashwind too was given her name, and the fluffy gray she-cat trembled underneath Leopardstar's muzzle.

"Splash-wind! Vole-whis-ker! Splash-wind! Vole-whis-ker!" The Clan chanted, tightening into a circle around the two new warriors. Mothwing stayed on the outskirts of the circle, but chanted their names just as loudly as any other cat. A thrill of pride went through her, even though she did not know either cat particularly well. Leopardstar's meow crescendoed above the clamor.

"As tradition dictates, Volewhisker and Splashwind will-" Hisses, growls and other various noises rose up to the willow branch, and Leopardstar paused. Mothwing stretched her neck up to see what the cats were so disgruntled about, and then a wave of wind swept fresh scent into her nostrils.

_Stormfur?_ She thought confusedly. The very same large gray tomcat stepped into the clearing, his tail flicking worriedly. "What have I interrupted?" he asked, sounding rather sheepish. He looked nearly plump, but his amber eyes had lost their usual glowing sparkle. Mothwing shouldered her way through the crowd to reach him.

"Excuse me, medicine cat coming through!" she yelled out. The sea of cats parted to some degree, and she ended up next to Stormfur. "Anything obvious?" she asked quickly. Unfortunately, Mudfur was out collecting herbs. Mothwing would have this job to perform herself. Stormfur shook his head, and Mothwing led him to her den. The rest of RiverClan began protesting; it wasn't _fair, _why should _she _get to see him, and _where was Feathertail?_ The golden tabby simply ignored them and scratched together a nest made of reeds and willow leaves for the living legend. The halfClan warrior circled around and dropped into the nest. "Where's Feathertail?"

Stormfur's mew was incredibly soft. "She's dead."

Mothwing shook her head quickly to clear it, trying to deny that Feathertail could be gone. She had found a kind of friendship in Feathertail, who could understand the Clan's rejection of Mothwing. Neither cat was fully RiverClan.

A voice seemed to meow, unbidden, in her mind. _Stop dilly-dallying and get on with it!_

Trying to empty her mind of her silver friend wasn't easy, but slowly Mothwing realized that she would use probably every type of herb RiverClan had. Hopefully she could remember all of their uses. Some knobbly black comfrey roots were stacked in a pile near the den's entrance. _Comfrey to soothe wounds_, she recalled, lifting up some in her jaws. She quickly bit into them, wincing at their toughness, and spat the mess into a pile on the floor. "Put some of that poultice onto whatever wounds you may have that hurt."

Without waiting to see if Stormfur obeyed her, she called Hawkfrost to her den. "Can you fetch me some cobwebs?"

The deputy dipped his tabby head to Mothwing and quickly exited the reed-circle of their camp. The medicine cat ducked back into her den to see Stormfur's pelt plastered with soggy comfrey. She nosed the warrior all over to find every last scratch, first cleaning them with her tongue, then treating them with dried oak leaf. It was a technique that only RiverClan seemed to use; they'd found oak leaf to be more than adapt at stopping infections. Every so often Stormfur would flinch, but he seemed to be hardened against most of the pain. A huge wad of cobwebs splattered onto the dirt near Mothwing's paws. She looked up to see her brother standing there, looking slightly anxious. _He's a rather young deputy,_ she pondered briefly.

"Sorry I took so long. I gathered a ball, but then I dropped it and it got filthy. I tried washing it in the river, and it disintegrated. So I went back, but I'd taken all of it, so I had to-" Hawkfrost's profuse explanation was quickly starting to get on Mothwing's nerves.

"It's fine," she interrupted. "He's not dying from blood loss, don't worry." She gave Hawkfrost a cheeky grin.

Stormfur looked up at the former rogue with a smile – or an attempt at a smile. "How come you and Mothwing here are the _only _ones not wanting every detail_ this second_?"

A heavy silence surrounded the three. "I know I'll hear the story eventually. The important thing is making sure you're all right. And that's where Mothwing comes in." Hawkfrost meowed at last.

--

The sun had disappeared from the sky by the time Mothwing was done treating Stormfur. He whispered, "Want to hear the story first?"

For a moment she was tempted, surprised that he trusted her so much. "Nah…" she decided. "I think it's Leopardstar's place to know before any cat."

He nodded. "Well, can I sleep in here first? I'm not up to all the questions yet." Before she could agree, he stood up and clawed his now rather fragmented nest back together.

"You know, Mudfur sleeps in that corner." He rolled over, leaving his back to face her. The aforementioned elder cat trotted in through the opening, clenching feverfew in his jaws.

"Speak of the devil," Stormfur joked under his breath. In a more audible tone he added, "Hi, Mudfur!"

Mothwing's mentor glanced at him. "Hello, Stormfur." He didn't break his stride as he padded over to Mothwing, seemingly unfazed. "What did you treat him with?"

"Oak leaf to stop infection, dock for his scratches, cobwebs for the bleeding, and comfrey to soothe his wounds." She didn't hesitate with the list of her cures.

"Excellent," meowed Mudfur. "I would have treated his wounds as though they were infected, however. Do we have any marigold?"

Quickly Mothwing retrieved it from the center of some reeds, and mashed it into a lumpy mix. Stormfur appeared slightly smaller with all of the poultices slicking down his thick fur. "Okay," he began. "I've been meaning to ask. Where's Mistyfoot?"

Mothwing felt her heart drop to the floor. She knew that the pair were close friends. "She's disappeared…"

The brown tom paused his herb-shuffling behind Stormfur. "Actually, when I was out collecting herbs, I talked to a cat by the name of Sorreltail."

"Sorreltail of ThunderClan?" Mothwing remembered an episode between Hawkfrost and the young warrior quite clearly.

Mudfur affirmed this. "Yes, Sorreltail of ThunderClan. Leafpaw, Cloudtail, and Brightheart have also disappeared. Sorreltail saw Leafpaw taken by Twolegs, trapped in a wooden carrier."

Stormfur was staring at both of RiverClan's medicine cats silently, but Mothwing ignored him. "They've taken Leafpaw?"

"Yes. Sorreltail is driving herself insane with guilt, because she was there. Do you think Mistyfoot and the other two could be with her?"

Mothwing answered, "Of course I think so. When can we rescue them? And from where?"

"The former will be answered when we find out the latter," said Mudfur, sounding a bit impatient.

"Squirrelpaw will be crushed," commented Stormfur. He suddenly was the object of mentor and apprentice's attention.

"You've seen Squirrelpaw?" Mudfur's tail flicked about urgently.

As though a ray of sunshine had beamed the answer into her head, Mothwing understood. "You've been with her, Brambleclaw, Crowpaw, and…who was the ShadowClan cat?"

Stormfur spoke up again. "Tawnypelt."

Leopardstar's low voice came as a shock to them all. "Stormfur, you need to explain."

**Credit to xXxMy-Jayde7-RomancexXx for the name "Splashwind."  
Reviewing and CCing would be lovely. -pokes-  
--Hope xx**


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